December 2015 Recap/Christmas 2015

Even though it's December 29th as I begin this post (it won't be finished until the 31st - it's a doozie!), I'm sitting in the sunroom with the tree lit and outdoor deck lights on and Christmas music playing soaking up one last moment of the season.  This is it, y'all.  Starting today it's all coming down.  It'll take a day or five to get it all boxed back up, which I'm dreading.  It's all of the work of decorating without one iota of the reward or excitement.  But it's gotta be done.  I know I'm ready because two days ago I was looking around thinking "No! Not yet!  Just a little longer!" and then last night that turned into "That's it!  Take it down.  Put it away.  NOW.  I'm done!"  

In the same way my body is craving a salad, my soul is craving this house to get back to some sense of organized normalcy.  

It's been a fun, celebratory month for sure.  We began with David's company holiday party (for which I shopped endlessly for a dress only to order one, pay two day shipping, and have it not arrive in time.  Don't worry...I didn't go naked.  I wore one of the few formal dresses I'd held onto that I'd worn to the party about 8 years prior.  Can you believe no one recognized it?! ;) )  Believe you me, though, it looked very different on me than it did pre-children.  Thankfully I had a scarf wrap and it was dimly lit in there.  

Anyway, the party was great.  It was at the Georgia Aquarium downtown, which was an amazing venue.  We got to tour the place first, so I ignored my aching feet and we walked through some of our favorite spots with David's coworkers.  We circled back to the ballroom and sat at the table with several of his employees (that stills sounds weird that people call him "boss.")  Dinner was delicious and the company around us was delightful.  I tried not to consider the fact that they may have just been sucking up.  We stayed and mingled for a while before making an early exit to get home and relieve my dad and stepmom.

Gussied up for David's 2015 holiday party

The next morning we wrote notes out for our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, prayed over them, and delivered them to church.  That afternoon was our neighborhood Cookies and Cocoa with Santa event.  As usual, Audrey was timid and Luke was mesmerized.  They sat on his lap for a quick chat and a few pictures.  We visited with some neighbors as the kids ate the GF cookies I brought and had some craft time.  

2015 Visit with Santa

Later that week was Luke's preschool Christmas program and I cannot express how much joy this event brought me.  He sang his heart out and did those motions like it was his JOB.  We laughed through the whole thing, only pausing long enough to gasp in fear that he was going to accidentally nail the little girl next to him in the head as he swung his arm in front of him for "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."  It was the most hilarious thing.  We let Audrey skip school to go with us, which both kids enjoyed immensely.  I figured he'd sat through enough of her programs through the years that it was only fair!  After the performance, we went back to the classroom for a few refreshments and pictures before I scooted out to take Audrey to school.  

Luke's 2015 Preschool Christmas Program

Eyes squeezed tight, hollering for heaven to hear.

The rest of that week I spent busily preparing for the kids'  class parties, shopping for gifts, mailing Christmas cards and packages, etc.  On Saturday, we took the kids out to dinner and then drove around in search of Christmas light displays.  Our church did something really interesting this year by giving a "reverse offering" to the congregation.  They asked us to pray about what to add to it and how to give it away.  Our family chose to buy some Publix gift cards and then drive around less affluent neighborhoods and put them in mailboxes with a note that read "Your light display really brightened our holiday.  We hope this gift brightens yours.  God loves you so much" and had 12Stone's info on it.  The kids had a blast picking which houses to give them to and it was neat imagining the families' faces as they got that surprise the next day.  After our deliveries, we drove around a few more neighborhoods and discovered when we were almost home that our own was by far the most decorated.  The social committee put on a competition this year and the neighborhood really stepped up its game.  

The next day we had church and delivered mini pound cakes to the kids' small group leaders and teachers.  (Note to self:  Order them next year.)  Afterward, we ate lunch with some of David's dad side of the family and then raced home to get Audrey to a birthday party and David on the road to the airport for a business trip to New Mexico.  Not the best timing, for sure, but what are you going to do?!  Thankfully the week flew by, but because I'd managed to get a lot of stuff accomplished the week before, it wasn't too overwhelming.  Some highlights:  On Monday Luke and I had lunch with my dad and stepmom to celebrate Dad's birthday and I finished Christmas shopping (yeah...dirty little secret: I'm rarely done with everything for everybody until mid-December.  I really want to get better about that, but somehow it never works out).  I spent most of Tuesday at Audrey's school decorating and getting the kids' fingerprints for a teacher gift and Wednesday was full of final teacher gift prep and class party details.  I loaded up the van that night and tried to get some sleep for the next day which was...dun dun dun...BOTH kids' class parties.  

The morning dawned early and the coffee brewed strong.  I managed to get everyone up, dressed, fed, and out the door on time and we dropped AJ off at school.  We went over to Luke's preschool early to deliver all the little gifts for his school's admins, music teachers, director, nurse, etc.  and then help set up for the party.  His party was super simple per the teacher's request.  There were no decorations and no special food, just four centers for the kids to circulate through.  They got to decorate a cookie, make reindeer food, complete a craft, and do a bell toss game.  We finished earlier than planned, but managed to stretch it out a bit by giving the teachers their framed fingerprint prints and gift card wreaths.  Poor Luke cried when I had to leave, but Mrs. Alyson swooped him into her lap and I made a clean break. 

I headed over to Audrey's school and unloaded the van for party #2.  Because of the timing of the party, we couldn't do much set up until the class went to lunch.  My co-room mom got sucked into a longer subbing job than she expected, so I was flying solo getting everything ready.  I was in a full-on sweat by the time some of the parents showed up and I immediately put them to work laying out the craft while I finished decorating.  The kids came back from lunch and marveled at the Candy Land Wonderland:  gingerbread house door decor (from last year's party), laminated paper squares on the floor to make a walkway, paper lanterns wrapped in cellophane to look like candy hung from the ceiling, and a candy bar set up with tulle and white lights.  I led the class in doing their gumball machine ornament craft (admittedly not with the best explanations, but live and learn) and then they all took some time to play Candy Land at their tables while I hot glued the ornament together.  After the game, we presented the teacher with a Glory Haus initial burlee and gift cards attached and a framed Christmas tree print with the kids' fingerprints.  They settled in to watch the Candy Land movie while snacking on popcorn as we called them back to fill up treat bags of candy from the candy bar.  They were so adorable as they made their choices.  Many could hardly believe their luck and looked skeptical that adults would just stand there as they took gobs of sweets.  You could definitely tell a lot about personalities from observing them:  some would gingerly pick out a few from each jar, some would make comments about getting one for their sibling, and others would take fistfuls until we intervened.  The movie ended and the kids began packing up to go home.  My co-room mom and I stayed and took down all of the decorations (Audrey thought it was the coolest to get to be at school "so late") and then we loaded up the van and drove home.  I walked in the door more exhausted than I've been since the Timber Trek (possibly more so?!) and incredibly thankful that David was home from his trip.  We filled him in on the day's excitement and then I disappeared into a hot bath until it was time to make dinner.  The day had been a success...and also a glaring confirmation that I am not meant to be a teacher.  Being around all those kids was mostly fun, but there are a few I would absolutely smack upside the head if I had prolonged exposure.  Still, I am glad to get to make those special memories for my two and their classmates.

Double Class Party Day

The next day, Luke and I stayed home to break down the party decorations and put it all away.  David came home early that afternoon and I took off to get a massage and a hair cut...appointments I'd been wise enough to book weeks earlier to ensure some post-party pampering.  I stopped by the grocery store and picked up some frozen pizzas on the way home.  While they cooked, we changed into pajamas and settled in for a viewing of Charlie Brown Christmas.  You could almost hear the cozy sigh of relief rising from our house.  We'd gotten through the crazy busy part of the month and made it to winter break.  Only just in time, too, as they next day was celebration #1 in Alabama.  

We headed over the state line the next morning and spent the day eating delicious food, unwrapping gifts, and visiting with David's mom's side of the family.  The kids were delighted with all of their new toys and goodies.  After showing such interest at Thanksgiving, Audrey a keyboard from her Aunt Barbara.  (We got to hear a lot of Jingle Bells.)  We also went outside and tried Luke's foam rocket launcher.  It was such a fun day full of family and playtime.  

David's maternal grandparents with their grandkids and great grandkids

On Sunday we went to church and then had a total chill afternoon.  We put together some legos that the kids had gotten the day before and played a game.  We baked cookies and delivered them to neighbors.  I ignored the mess around us for a little longer and just relished the day with everyone together at home.  

That Monday the kids and I got up and drove to Greenville, South Carolina to meet our sweet friends the Taylors at a children's museum we love there.  Kara and I caught up as best we could in between counting children and running them to the potty.  We ate lunch there and then exchanged gifts in the parking lot before trekking home.  As usual, we hated to leave them and wished they lived closer, but were very thankful we got to spend the time together that we did. 

The Sinyard and Taylor kids

The next day I cleaned the house from top to bottom and hit the grocery store to stock up for the rest of the week's celebrations.  Thankfully the kids did a fantastic job of playing together and entertaining themselves.  I tried to only intervene in the arguments that looked like they were going to result in bloodshed.  Ah, siblings.  Can't live with them, can't kill them and blame it on someone else when there's only two of ya.  

On Christmas Eve Eve (yeah, it's a thing), we had plans to go do a special Dollar Tree sneak attack idea I'd seen on Courtney DeFeo's website (author of In This House We Will Giggle).  You leave stashes of $1s and $5s around the store with notes so that people can find them as they're shopping and hopefully get a really sweet surprise.  Unfortunately, our minivan had other ideas for us.  I'd noticed the night before that it seemed a little slow to start, but when we buckled up and I turned the key, it was dead.  I tried several times over and long story short (read: edited because it's still too fresh), when I finally pushed the van out of the garage to get it ready so I could ask a neighbor to pull in our driveway and jump it, it started.  We drove up to Auto Zone and they tested the battery only to tell me that it was not the battery.  They suggested it was the alternator.  Sounds expensive, doesn't it?!  I took it to a repair shop across the street and left it running while I went inside and asked if they could squeeze me in.  They could not.  So I called another mechanic we'd used before and, thankfully, they said they could do it that day.  I asked for a ballpark figure and tried not to swear in front of the children when he answered me.  We took it in and waited for David, who had been at work all of two hours by that point, to come get us.  We ended up doing our Dollar Tree mission, though I won't lie and say I didn't think about keeping those stashes for ourselves at that point.  We picked up our Honeybaked ham slices and drove home, trying to remain cheerful.  It was a real effort on my part mainly because of the money, but also out of selfishness.  Dealing with that was not how I wanted to spend my last day alone with the kids before we began making the Christmas celebration rounds.  The pouring rain outside didn't help things.  (Side note: this has been the wettest December ever.)

Anyway, to make a long story short, we bought a new alternator for the van for Christmas.  I kept reminding myself to be grateful...an expense like that right before Christmas would've meant no visit from Santa for many people.  It would've meant returning a lot - or even all - of the gifts under the tree.  For us it did hurt, but it didn't send us into a panic and I truly was thankful for that.  We made and decorated Christmas cookies that night, which surely helped lift our spirits. David and I just sat there and marveled at how big the kids had gotten as we watched them concentrate and do such cute details on their masterpieces.  

Fast forward to the next day:  Christmas Eve.  David's parents came over that morning and we exchanged gifts.  Their company and generosity was much appreciated and we had fun watching the kids dive into their new toys before eating a gourmet meal from Pizza Hut.  (They really do love me just as I am, God bless 'em.)  The morning ended with rousing slot car races and it looked like a quintessential Christmas with the kids hovered over their new track.  

Audrey and Luke with their Grandmom and Granddad

After they left, we put the kids down for a rest and cleaned up a bit before getting them up and ready for our Christmas Eve service at church.  Childcare was only offered for preschool and under, so since Audrey was going to sit with us we gave Luke the option as well.  He debated after hearing our repeated warnings about staying quiet but ultimately decided to join us.  It was a nice service (except for the part where the pastor explained the three stages of life:  you believe in Santa, you don't believe in Santa, you are Santa - WHA?! Why would you do that with a room full of kids, sir?!  Thankfully, we didn't get any questions about it from our kids , though I imagine he fielded his fair share of them from parents.)  Singing Christmas worship songs with the kids was really cool and they managed to do well sitting still.  

Dressed up for Christmas Eve service

We drove home listening to Alabama Christmas CD and cracking up at Luke belting out "There's a CANDLE in the WINDOW!"  We quickly threw together our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of tacos and sat down to eat.  Now here's where you'll have to humor me as I keep it real:  I don't know what happened exactly, but things began to unravel.  I think we were stressed from the rush of getting to church and keeping the kids quiet there and then racing home to get them fed.  We had a small disagreement about something minor and then suddenly David and I were snipping at each other.  We took the kids outside to pour out their reindeer food on the lawn and noticed the Christmas lights had shorted out again from all of the rain.  The snipping continued.  Then I pulled out the kids' traditional ornament gifts for them to open and barked at Audrey for starting to open hers when I wasn't looking.  I apologized and smoothed things over, but then she broke it pulling it out of the box and burst into tears.  I slowly turned those into laughter by making some jokes but everyone was more than a little edgy.  Insert more snipping.  I swallowed my pride and attempted to reach out to David by teasingly poking at him, which he was not at all in the mood for.  He got more frustrated and I felt humiliated.  The damage was done and I started crying and couldn't stop.  Not because anything was so terribly wrong, but more because it was Christmas Eve, everyone was stressed, and we were fighting over absolutely idiotic stuff.  In other words, my expectations of the picture perfect evening had crumbled and I was furious with myself.  I knew better than to have those silly expectations in the first place, let alone react this way when they didn't get met.  The night we'd waited weeks...months for was finally here and we, mainly me, were ruining it.  Ah, perfectionism.  Just when I think I've tamed you to a manageable level, you bite me in the butt.  

I tried to hide my tears through the reading of our last advent story and then get a grip while I read The Night Before Christmas.  You know how it is though.  Sometimes the more you try to calm yourself down, the more the floodgates open.  I snuggled with Audrey as she talked sweetly to me, knowing something was wrong.  She asked me if there was anything I wanted for Christmas (not helping the tears, kid) and I squeezed her tight and assured her that I already had it.  That was the real reason I was so mad at myself:  I had every single thing I'd ever wanted and yet I was behaving this way.  I prayed for God to help me get it together and the anger slowly dissipated as I sang her a song and tucked her in.  David and I talked things through and made up before Santa came on the scene.  We crashed into bed exhausted but feeling a lot better than we had a few hours prior.  

The next morning Christmas came and I woke up early and took a shower.  While David woke up and got dressed, I turned on all the Christmas lights and did a final check on the layout.  I prepped the cameras and then we went in together to wake the kids around 7:30 (because of the layout of our house, they can't leave their rooms without seeing the stash from the catwalk, so we make them wait and then close their eyes until they're on the stairs.)  

Finally they walked down and ran to their loot, exclaiming that Santa was "very generous!"  We ate breakfast (just pancakes, bacon, and eggs because that's what AJ wanted) and then opened stockings and began exchanging gifts.  Since we only give the kids three from us, we stretched it out all day and let them take time to play in between.  We built the fort they got, let them dress up in their costumes (Batman and mermaid), listened to karaoke on their new mic, and played with the Gotham City Jail and Shopkins storefront.  For lunch, we ate leftover tacos and then David and I opened another gift from the kids (the first was GT boxers for him and a robe for me, the second a map puzzle centered on our address for him, jewelry for me.)  Everyone settled in for a nap/rest and then, when they woke up and we saw the sun peeking out for the first time in days, we went out for a walk and some scooter riding.  As we strolled to the end of the driveway, we noticed our mailbox had been hit.  We later found out our neighbor's son saw it happen, but didn't get a good look at the car and the guy had only jumped out to assure him it was fine.  Regardless, I was determined not to let it ruin the mood, especially given the drama the night before.  We went inside and let the kids watch the Tom and Jerry DVD Audrey had given Luke for Christmas while we cooked dinner.  I called everyone in the dining room where we enjoyed our ham, mashed potatoes, GF mac and cheese, deviled eggs, green beans, GF corn pudding, and GF rolls.  It was delicious and the kids loved eating on fancy plates with candlelight.  We cleaned up and they opened their last gifts (Journey Girl doll for AJ and a set of super hero mashables for Luke) and then did FaceTime with Pam and Ed for a little while.  

Opening some gifts

We tucked two very happy kids in bed and I relished the inner calm I felt and thanked God for a great day.  David and I finished watching Christmas with the Kranks and ate Publix peppermint ice cream.  It had been a lovely Christmas day.  

The next morning I woke up early and did what has become my traditional post-Christmas shopping spree from 7am - 10am.  I didn't buy much - no decorations - but did grab a few gift bags and boxes and found Luke a birthday present and some new pajamas.  It's more about me getting a few hours alone sandwiched in between days of extroversion.  David and the kids met me and we drove to my mom's to celebrate with her, my brothers, and their families.  We ate lunch and visited while the cousins had a blast running all around and playing together.  The food and gifts were secondary to the company, catching up, and reminiscing, as they should be.  It was a nice visit and after snapping a few pictures, we left early afternoon to make our way back home.  Our van was acting up again (yeah, SUPER excited about that) but we made it home without incident.  

 David, the kids, and I with my mom, brothers, and their families

The next day was Sunday, but our church didn't have any services.  Our plan was to stay home and chill.  As I ignored the growing chaotic mess around us (no small feat for me) and got in the floor to play with kids, I quickly shushed them to listen carefully to a strange noise.  No doubt about it:  there was an animal in our walls or ceiling.  Next thing you know, I'm standing in the yard watching a squirrel on our porch roof while David threw rocks to scare it off and then climbed up to patch the hole he'd seen it crawl out of.  He succeeded and we ate lunch.  The kids went down for nap/rest and I left to go get a new power cord for my laptop that had gone caput on Christmas.  While I was gone, David replaced a battery terminal in the van (he'd had it tested earlier that morning at Auto Zone and discovered it was bad and also had a bad terminal.  They put in a new battery since it was still under warranty and the bought the parts to fix the terminal.  And let's just pretend that the bad alternator killed it and that, though the mechanic should've caught it, he didn't but he didn't rip us off with an unnecessary alternator.  I just need to believe that or I may drive up there and punch the jerk in the face.)  He also put on a new mailbox because he is superman and can't quit.  We celebrated with a trip to the park after the kids woke up and went on a little hike through the trails per David's request.  It felt wonderfully warm and sunny outside and we felt good getting out and enjoying some fresh air and exercising.  

Monday brought about our fourth and final family celebration (fifth if you count our personal one...We're practically Jewish) at my Dad and stepmom's house.  We ate brunch, opened gifts, and watched the cousins do more running around and playing.  My sister-in-law set up a makeshift nail parlor and painted Audrey's toenails and fingernails with some of her new nail polish, which she loved.  All too soon, it was over and time to pack up.  The van started like a champ thanks to my amazing hubby's handiwork.  We drove home, unpacked, and ate hot dogs in front of the TV like the health nuts we are.  

David, the kids, and I with my dad, stepmom, brothers, and their families

The next day we made some returns, let the kids spend some of their Christmas money at Toys R Us, and went to pick up my birthday present:  A new iPhone 6s to replace my four year old iPhone 4.  We came home and began taking down some decorations until David's parents got there to watch the kids while we went out on a date.  We went to an indoor shooting range and then out to dinner at Tin Lizzy's.  We stopped by a little gift shop I like and then hit the grocery store for a few things on the way home.  

Wednesday was my birthday.  33 - yowza.  I woke up to pouring rain announcing that I would not be taking my birthday run like I thought.  I sat in the sunroom and worked on this post before getting the kids up and feeding them breakfast.  We continued the work of taking down all of the Christmas stuff and they were actually big helpers at disassembling the tree and wrapping up ornaments.  We played around and I got to open my presents (a long cord for my new phone and a paper cutter I asked for).  After lunch, Audrey gave me a birthday manicure...with a little help.  When they got up from rest, we went out to a couple of stores including Barnes and Noble, where they loved playing and reading.  Before long, it was time to head over to Provino's for my birthday dinner.  They give you a free meal on your actual birthday and also have a gluten-free menu, so it was a no-brainer.  We ate and then I made a quick return at Kohl's before we drove home to hear a lovely rendition of Happy Birthday and eat some peppermint ice cream (David had snuck over to Great American Cookie Company to get me a slice of cookie cake that was devoured later.)  The kids really did treat me so sweetly all day and adhered pretty well to the "no whining or fighting on Mommy's birthday" rule.  In fact, it was a nicer birthday than I've had in the last several years.  Not because of any grandiose gesture or gift, but simply because the kids are older and "get it" now.  And the recent reminder I'd experienced about adjusting expectations probably didn't hurt, either. 

They treated me like a queen all day - complete with a crown!

Which brings us to today.  The 31st.  (SHEW.  Are you still reading?!  Take a sip of water and hang in there - almost done!)  Today we took the kids over to Pam and Ed's and then ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel before running some errands and heading home to complete the great un-decorating of Christmas 2015.  (WHY DO I HAVE SO MUCH CHRISTMAS STUFF?!)  We knocked it out in a couple of hours and then I read and napped while David worked on his new security camera "toy" and his puzzle.  Thought it looks a little emptier around here, it is very nice to have everything mostly back to order.  The place needs cleaning and I had to stop myself several times from decluttering because I have the urge to just start tossing stuff so badly right now.  I imagine there will be a good bit of that done in the coming weeks, but for now we're cozying up for our last evening of 2015.

My husband beside me, my sleeping babies down the hall, a full belly, a beautiful warm home and family and friends that love us as much as we love them.  Thank you, God.  

Happy New Year and may 2016 be your best year yet!  

Update on 2015 Resolutions

I skipped my third quarter review, but wanted to do a year-end recap of my 2015 resolutions.  I know we're not quite to the end of the year yet, but to be honest, there's not going to be a lot of progress on these in the next nine days. 

To refresh your memory, my resolutions were:

1.  Get in shape
2.  Read more.  (I set a goal of 10 books)
3.  Implement the monthly virtue lessons in a book titled "In This House, We Will Giggle" to help teach the kids important things we want to pass on but in a purposeful, fun way.

Goal #1:  Eh.  Yes, I did.  And then I didn't.  And then I did.  And now I'm not.  Just like it dawned on me a month or so ago that I will never, ever be fully caught up at my house, I am also slowly realizing that I will always be wavering between a 5-10 lb weight loss or gain (let's hope it's never more.)  I'll lose it, keep it off for a month or two, then slowly gain it back.  It's a vicious cycle.  BUT, it's one that I'm coming to terms with.  Do I feel better when I'm on the low end?  Of course.  But I'm slowly (and I do mean s-l-o-w-l-y) doing better at not letting it consume me.  Two things that really helped that realization were my 12 lb weight loss in the spring that no one noticed (it was a good thing...really.)  The other was being at my (annual-ish) physical and talking to my doctor about it.  In a very non-flirtatious, serious way, he said "Heather, 90% of the women that I see here would kill to have your body."  I knew he meant both the physicality and the healthiness.  God knew I needed to hear that.  It is not in perfect shape, but it's all I have, and it serves me well.  I need to take care of it to make sure it lasts, but also quit obsessing so much about how it looks in jeans.  It's a constant struggle, but it is getting a little easier the older I get.  Which is good, because I'm also realizing that it's much harder to get the weight off the older I get!

Goal #2:  I read 27 books this year!  I am so happy about that.  In no particular order, they were:

Nobody's Cuter than You - Melanie Shankle
Momumental - Jennifer Grant
Ketchup is a Vegetable - Robin O'Bryan
The Happiness Project - Gretchen Ruben
Happier at Home - Gretchen Ruben
Better Than Before - Gretchen Ruben
Rules of Civility - Amor Towels
All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
Home is Where My People Are - Sophie Hudson
A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet - Sophie Hudson
Sparkly Green Earrings - Melanie Shankle
Best Yes - Lysa Terkeurst
Interrupted - Jen Hatmaker
For the Love - Jen Hatmaker 
The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
Why Not Me? - Mindy Kaling
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? - Mindy Kaling
Does This Beach Make My Butt Look Fat - Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
Have a Nice Guilt Trip - Lisa Scottoline
The Island - Elin Hildebrand
The Blue Bistro - Elin Hildebrand
Winter Street - Elin Hildebrand
Winter Stroll - Elin Hildebrand
In the Unlikely Event - Judy Blume
Dad is Fat - Jim Gaffigan
Bossypants (reread) - Tina Fey
Bird by Bird - Ann Lamont

I recommend any of the Gretchen Ruben, Jen Hatmaker, Sophie Hudson, Lysa Terkeurst, or Melanie Shankle ones for non-fiction.  All the Light We Cannot See still ranks at the top of my fiction list, but it very long and not an easy "beach read", so be warned.  

Goal #3:  I dropped the ball on this one more than a few times.  BUT, as I said in a previous recap, I feel that doing some of them some of the time was better than never doing any.  I put the virtue/verses cards up and we discussed them every so often.  Joy, perseverance, service, and humility were probably the months we focused on the most.  I plan on making this a reoccurring resolution for my 2016 list, so we'll give it another go.  

So that's it.  I accomplished and regressed on the first goal several times, nailed the second goal, and did so-so on the third.  All in all, I feel good about the list.  I'm already excitedly thinking about my 2016 resolutions.  I hope you have a goal or two in mind that you're going to aim for in the new year.  Until then, enjoy those Christmas cookies! ;)

November 2015 Recap

It's just before 6am on Saturday morning and I am currently snuggled up in the sunroom looking at the lit tree and Christmas lights on the back deck.  My eyes popped open at 5:30am this morning and I could barely get down here fast enough.  This is my absolute favorite way to start a day, especially this time of year.  It's dark outside, it's quiet inside, the entire day is stretched out before me, and the coffee is delicious.  Just lovely.  

Anyway, I just had to share my pretty scene before I dove right into a recap of last month.  Here goes...

Sometime towards the end of October I got it in my head that it was time to do a deep cleaning around here.  (Let's just pretend some of this is done more often than it actually is, shall we?)  After finally convincing myself that I was never going to have the time to do it myself, I scheduled a window cleaner to come out and do the inside and outside of all of our windows and the sunroom.  I think I did most of them a few months after we moved in and I had someone do just the sunroom about 18 months ago, but nothing had been touched since.  I took down all of the curtains and sent them to the dry cleaners or washed them and then dusted every blind slat and window sill.  I stripped the beds including the mattress covers and bed skirts.  I flipped mattresses and vacuumed crevices.  I wiped down the tops of armoires and picture frames.  I pulled out everything from the china cabinet and cleaned all of the glass.  It was fun...for the first few hours.  After that it began to lose its luster and I began to lose energy.  I powered through the bedrooms and most of downstairs.  I have not yet dug into the kitchen or the basement, but I thought it was best to save some of the fun for a future date.  

Side story:  The dry cleaner accidentally ruined two out of the five master bedroom curtains.  The good news is I hated those things, so it wasn't a huge loss.  The bad news is that they had been discontinued, so that meant hunting down new ones, which is never a quick thing for me. I forced myself to stick to four stores and brought home six different options before settling on one.  Hours of ironing and hanging (and making returns) later, I absolutely love the new ones.  

In addition to a deep cleaning and the first-world problem of curtain selection, I did a small local consignment sale at the beginning of the month.  Most of what I sold was home decor that I'd been holding onto thinking I might put on a yard sale.  I finally let go of that idea and figured I'd probably get more money at a consignment sale anyway.  It turned out to be worth it...most of it sold and I got a nice payment to put towards Christmas shopping.

In the theme of cleaning up and cleaning out, we tackled a lot of nagging tasks that have been on our to do list for a long time.  David switched the hot and cold water lines to where they should be in the basement, I finally replaced some photos in frames around the house, I touched up paint in various rooms, we cleaned out our nightstands, David hung up some new frames I'd switched out, and I cleaned out files in the office.  I knew once Thanksgiving hit, all of this would go to the back burner until, well frankly, after Luke's birthday in February.  

Now lest you think this month was work, work, work, here's some fun stuff we did:

• We took the kids roller skating for the first time!  They were very nervous at first and both used a pvc "walker" on wheels (where were those when I was learning?!)  David was a master from his hockey playing days of course.  Me on the other hand...well I'm still very, very shaky.  After I realized I couldn't keep both myself and Luke upright, I changed back into tennis shoes and just helped him.  They did really well and by the end, Audrey was just holding David's hand.  

• We celebrated my nephew's 4th birthday at a Monkey Joe's-type inflatable place.

• David and I had our date day that I wrote about here.

• With the help of our small group, we packed lunches for a local Habitat for Humanity crew and delivered them.  (Actually, poor AJ had a terrible UTI, so she stayed back home with me while the boys and the group went to deliver.)  We wanted to actually work on the build, but couldn't swing it this semester.  Hopefully in the future.  

• AJ had her weekly Good News Club on Mondays.  They had a little Christmas party at the end of the month since they break for the month of December.  In all honesty, she has not been loving it the last month or so, so I'm not sure she'll start back in January.  I think she's just so done with school by the end of the day that staying in that building for another two hours isn't very appealing.  We'll enjoy the break and then reevaluate.  

• She and David went to All Pro Dads, which she does absolutely love.  The group meets once a month in the school cafeteria on Friday mornings, eats breakfast, and has a guest speaker talk for a few minutes who usually guides them through a discussion question or two.  She adores the one on one time with David and I love it because it's an easy way for me to make sure they're having that special daddy-daughter time without having to remember to put it on the calendar.  

• Other school happenings:  We celebrated Luke's teacher's birthday, I volunteered at Audrey's school (painting 23 little hands to make turkey prints - shew!), and I volunteered at Luke's school helping the Thanksgiving feast.  (By the way, I spent about $20 total on food I sent in for their feasts...two kids in school is no joke.) 

• We continued small group and finished out the semester with a party on the last Sunday (more details below.)

• David went out of town for four days.  So this isn't a fun thing, but I did dive into organizing geek-mode and hammered out several projects while watching Hallmark movies, which is a thrill for me.

• My mom came out for a visit and we got to celebrate her birthday a little bit with gifts and lunch.  

See?  There was plenty of fun to balance out the work! :)  And of course, we ended the month with a week off of school for Thanksgiving break.  This year's was a little harried to be honest.  For one thing, we had two celebrations instead of our typical one gathering.  (Okay, so we did two last year too, but one was close by and short.)  For another, we were trying to have the house 100% decorated indoors and out AND completely clean in time for our small group Christmas party the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  The good news is I was finally starting to feel better after spending 3 out of the previous 4 weeks being under the weather.  

On Thanksgiving itself we went to David's Aunt Pat's and celebrated with his mom's side of the family.   We ate ourselves silly and then began working our way through the desserts (which outnumbered the sides!)  It was a gorgeous day so after lunch we spent awhile outside letting the kids walk around the neighborhood lake.  Luke even reeled in a fish that Uncle Keith caught for him.  David's paternal grandmother came by with his aunt and uncle for a few, so we had both of his sides represented.  Everyone had a great time and we reluctantly piled them back in the car to trek home.  We decorated our tree that night though not to the Macy's Tree Lighting like we usually do.  They moved it to the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving this year and, though I set the DVR to record, it did not.  Instead we cranked up Alabama Christmas and then just found a YouTube video of the song they sing for the actual tree lighting to watch during our grand finale angel lighting.  Cheesy, but tradition is tradition. 

David's mom's side of the family - Thanksgiving 2015

That Saturday we drove out to Villa Rica and had lunch with my brothers and their families.  It's the first celebration I can remember where neither of our parents were around, and it felt a little off.  Of course, the kids make enough noise and distraction to keep everyone entertained.  The chili my sister-in-law made was delicious and the cousins loved playing together.  Audrey and Luke even warmed up to Murphy, their golden retriever, which was big considering they were both near (or in) tears at the beginning of the visit.  We visited a few hours and then went home to finish up the house.

David, kids, and me with my brothers and their families.  We worked hard on doing a nice, 

posed picture so we could gift them to our parents for Christmas.  

Sunday was church and then a little more party prep.  Our group came over late that afternoon and the kids went outside to enjoy the warm temps with the sitters while we began a murder mystery party.  (As one does with their church group.)  We did find a clean version online (besides the whole MURDER part) and assigned each person a part.  Everyone really got into interrogating each other while stuffing their faces with delicious potluck appetizers and desserts (score for being "imperfectionist" enough to just ask people to bring food.  Thank you, thirties.)  After about an hour and half, we gathered around to make our guesses and then listen to the audio file reveal.  A few got it right, including David.  I blamed the assistant when in fact it was the event planner.  Figures.  They're always one step away from snapping.  We brought the kids up from the basement for pizza and playtime before sending everyone on their way around 7:30.  We tucked the kids in their beds and crawled into our own, breathing huge sighs of relief.  It was a ton of fun and it was really awesome to have the house clean and decorated before December 1st, but it was also exhausting. 

Our small group at the end-of-semester social

The next week was right back into reality.  I have made a commitment to give swimming another try, so I woke up crazy early that Monday to hit the nearest indoor pool which is 17 minutes away.  I told myself that the gauge of whether it was a success would simply be me going, which was good, since I sucked at everything else.  WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR ME?!  I don't know.  I get the mechanics of breathing, I just cannot seem to DO it.  I spent the majority of my ten measly laps just holding a kick board in front of me and working on breathing patterns.  But whatever, man.  I was there at 6am.  Exercising.  In a bathing suit.  Grace.

Audrey and Luke were honestly ready to get back to school and see their buddies.  I know I've said it before, but I'm just pleased as pie that they love school so much.  I felt sad dropping them off, but the influx of holiday to-dos offered more than enough to distract me. More on all that in next month's recap, of course.  

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving and that your Christmas season is off to a fantastic start!  Remember to make time to truly enjoy some fun stuff with your family!  

Thankful Thursday

I don't know what it is about this week, but I am feeling overly grateful for just about everything I come across.  Maybe it's the long overdue sunshine we're finally experiencing, maybe it's that David is going out of town soon so I know I'd better soak up him and his help, or maybe it's all the Thanksgiving decorations surrounding me reminding me to be thankful.  Whatever the reason, I can think of worse ailments from which to be suffering.  

Here is this week's list:

1.  My nephew James, whose birthday was Monday.  We had a great time celebrating him at his party on Sunday.  My favorite part was when he ran up to David, grabbed him by the hand, and dragged David away to do the inflatables with him.  :)  He loves his Uncle David!  We are so thankful for this big brown-eyed cutie pie.

2.  A day date!  About a month ago, I told David that it would make me incredibly happy if he took a day off when Audrey and Luke were in school, took me out to breakfast, and went Christmas shopping for the kids with me.  Luckily his workload is such right now that he was able to give in to my wish (and his history with me is such that he doesn't even blink at my wanting to Christmas shop in early November.)  We had to do some serious schedule searching to find a Tuesday or Thursday that worked, but today came together and off we went.  We ate a delicious country breakfast at a local spot I'd been wanting him to try and then hit Toys R Us, Target, and Toys R Us again to pick up a couple of things we were on the fence about the first round through.  We drove through Dairy Queen to have ice cream for lunch and then picked up Luke.  It was as fun as I knew it would be!  

3.  Little hands in mine.  As I mentioned, we have finally had a much-needed break from the rain and have spending a lot of time outdoors enjoying it.  As I was walking the kids off of a playground and back to the van one afternoon, I held their hands.  I guess I don't do that as often as I once did because I'm usually just out with Luke and, when I have both kids, we spend most afternoons and evenings at home.  What was once very common struck me in that moment as something rare and, more than that, fleeting.  I squeezed their little hands tight in mine and silently thanked God for the moment.  

4.  Leaves falling like snow.  It's beautiful to drive or walk through a "leaf blizzard." 

5.  Gilmore Girls!  I've started re-watching the series.  Due to mommy brain, age, or both, I honestly don't remember most of what I'm seeing, so it's like watching it for the first time.  The quick-paced diatribes that Lorelai does can sometimes get irksome, but I do love the show.  

Enjoy your Friday & weekend!

A Woman's Work is Never Done

I had an epiphany the other day that I'm almost embarrassed to admit.  I'm pretty sure this is one of those things that everyone else in the entire universe has figured out and I am the very last person alive to come to this realization.

You ready for this earth-shattering, mind-blowing lightning bolt?  Here it is:

I will never be totally and completely, 100% caught up when it comes to household management tasks and home improvement projects.  NEVER.  

I may get close.  I may widdle the list down to just a handful of items.  But I will never not have a list.  At least not while I have kids living at home.  But probably forever.  

For a long time I thought this was because I had small children.  Then I blamed it on work and not having any spare time.  Finally I realized that, nope, this is just how it's going to be.  By the time you cross off three things at the top, four more things get added to the bottom. Sometimes you get a lull in life when you can focus on the list, but then sickness or holidays or something else happens that returns back-burner stuff to the back-burner and it boils over to unmanageable proportions in the time it takes to get around to it again.  When I let all of that sink in, my reaction wavered between surprise and defeat.  

The individual tasks themselves aren't difficult or overwhelming:  Clean out this closet, catch up on those photo albums, shred that stack of papers, organize that drawer, touch up paint in these rooms, write that card to so-and-so, get quotes and schedule this repair, etc. etc. etc.  It's the combination of all of those tasks that is just so frustratingly insurmountable.  

But don't worry.  I don't prioritize these things over what truly matters in life.  I have enough wisdom in me to recognize that a list like this is very superficial and inconsequential.  I know that my kids are only this age for so long and that the spots on the carpet and the unorganized drawers and the unfinished albums aren't worth sacrificing time with them.  Nor are they worth what's left of my sanity.  I realize there are better things to spend my time on and much more important people and causes that I should put energy towards.  I understand I have to prioritize my time and chip away at the ongoing list as I'm able.

I get all of that.  Really.  

But man, it sure would be nice if for only five minutes I could collapse on the couch and think, "There.  Finished."  The thing is, I guess I've finally realized that when I utter those words the next ones out of my mouth will be, "Well hey, Peter!" as I'm ushered into the pearly gates.

October 2015 Recap

Coming off of the Timber Trek craziness in September, I really wanted to make October a month of downtime and fun.  I recently heard somewhere that you should allow yourself as much time "off" as you were "on" for a specific project.  While I think that's way too generous, I do very much believe in working hard and playing hard and I'm happy to report that I was pretty successful in chilling out this month.  

Some updates and highlights:

• Audrey had follow-up blood work labs for her Celiac and, praise the Lord, the results were amazing.  When she was first diagnosed, her tTg level was 125.  (It's supposed to be less than 5.)  She is now at a 4.  FOUR!!!  And there are no signs of any additional autoimmune issues.  I called David at work and had to lead with "These are happy tears!" before I sobbed my way through the update.  More than that, she has gone from the 2nd percentile in height to the 10th percentile in just six months.  Just awesome.  Though we knew the diet was making her feel better and she seemed to be growing, having concrete evidence was such a relief.  We are now in "maintenance mode" (meaning we keep up the strict gluten-free diet) and will see her fantastic doctor annually.  

• I ran half marathon #5 on the first weekend of the month.  It was the hilliest course I have ever done and also served as an indicator that I'm kinda done with halves for awhile.  I have some ideas of what I might like to try in 2016, but as I write this while I eat my double-chocolate muffin, I'd prefer not to disclose anything right now lest I change my mind.

• I got to take a weekend girls' trip with Kara to Chattanooga and it was so, so nice.  We talked nonstop while we shopped our way around the city and ate delicious food.  It was fantastic to spend all of that consecutive, uninterrupted time with her doing whatever we wanted whenever we wanted.  She's just the coolest and it's so great to have someone to solve all of life's problems with, even if only for a weekend.  I'm already mentally planning next year's trip.

• Audrey had the Monday after my girls' trip off of school, so David took off work and we all went up to Jaemor Farms.  We did the mini corn maze, rode the "hay" ride (sans hay), fed goats in the petting zoo, raced rubber duckies in pvc pipes, played skee ball, and road the tiny pumpkin train.  We picked out two small pumpkins from the patch and then our big one from the onsite market (we have learned from experience that's way cheaper) and ate a picnic lunch before heading home.  It was fun and not insanely crowded, so that may be our new tradition to go on that day.

• We had David's parents over for a cookout and gluten free cupcakes one evening to celebrate his dad's birthday.  We enjoyed the awesome fall weather while we sat out on the deck and enjoyed David's delicious hamburgers.  We are so thankful for Ed and all of the awesome grandparents in our kids' lives!

• I put in some serious volunteer hours at the kids' schools this month.  I spent waaaay too long making piggy cookies for AJ's class's farm day, worked for Audrey's teacher a couple of mornings, worked at and then helped break down her school fall festival, was Mystery Reader in Luke's class, and then helped with his fall festival. (In related news, I have a cold.  Those kids are petri dishes, I tell ya.)  I also put together 45 popcorn hands for their class Halloween snacks.  It definitely takes a lot of time to do this stuff, but I really am happy to be so involved in their schools and support their teachers.  I love having the boys and girls recognize me in the hall and run up to give me a hug or a high-five.  

• David took Audrey on a Daddy-Daugter rock climbing date (her first time) at an indoor place nearby.  She had such a good time and did really well!  Surprisingly, she preferred to be belayed by the machine instead of a real person.  I'm so glad she was willing to give it a shot.  

• We did our annual Georgia Tech game with our "Cobb County friends".  We tailgated with brunch, hit the game, and then all went out for "lupper" afterward.  I've said it a million times before, but I love being with these people who knew us before we were "The Sinyards."  Our lives have changed a lot in the 16-20+ years we've known them and we don't get to see them nearly often enough, but these are some of our most important people.  They'd drop everything to be there for us in a heartbeat if we needed them and we'd do the same for them.  The older I get, the more I realize how priceless that is.  

• Halloween was a blast this year.  The kids were Peter Pan and Tinker Bell.  We carved our pumpkin on Friday night and watched "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown".  It was our Pajama-Pumpkin-Pizza-Picnic-Peanuts Party.  :)  On Saturday night, we ate "finger" hot dogs (no mummy dogs this year because I couldn't come up with a decent gluten-free option fast enough) and then met up with the Kirkleys to go trick-or-treating.  The kids did the entire loop of that side of the neighborhood (1 mile) before coming home to sort out the gluten pieces (who knew Twizzlers have wheat in them?!)  They ate a few of their favorites pieces and crashed into bed.  I'm glad daylight savings time started that night, because we all needed the extra hour!

What else?  I had a much-needed dinner one night with Lauren, David and I snuck in a date night (and a date lunch on a weekday!  God bless preschool!), Audrey continued the Good News Club, I finally finished my accent wall project in the upstairs hallway, we continued small group, and I got a decent head start on my Christmas shopping.  :)

Update on the kids:  They are doing great and both enjoying school so much, which makes my heart happy.  They also have been playing together really, really well lately.  (Quick! Knock on wood!) Granted, they have their blow-ups and fights, but they seem slightly less frequent. Or maybe I'm just getting better at ignoring them.  

Luke is still very much entrenched in the super hero stage and Audrey, while slowly growing out of the dress-up stuff, still loves playing with her doll house.  They both love coloring and crafts a ton right now as well as building with Magnatiles.  Luke is getting more and more into "writing" and reading, which makes me very, very happy.  Audrey, of course, is rarely happier than when she is reading quietly by herself.  Their senses of humor are blossoming every day as is their grasp of the art of sarcasm, which I have to temper my excitement about because I know it's not so endearing in a six year old.  

As I said in a recent post, some of the issues are getting tougher, but overall, we really are enjoying this stage of parenting where everyone sleeps through the night and wipes their own behind.  

A couple of quotes from them from the month:

• When taking AJ to school one morning, we had some praise music playing loudly and Luke got caught up and suddenly yelled "HULK SMASH" in the middle of the chorus.  I laughed really hard, which undoubtedly ensures that it'll be a regular occurrence for while.  

• We have started watching Ninja Warrior from time to time and the kids love it.  One night Audrey innocently asked me if I was ever going to be on it.  I'm not going to lie...her Christmas gift budget is totally going up just for thinking that is in the realm of possibility.  

• During her weekend afternoon rest time, Audrey asked me if she could organize her Clue Crew books in number order.  It was a proud, proud moment. 

I had more, but the notes on my phone got erased and this ol' memory ain't what it used to be.  Better luck next month.  

Enjoy the remaining days of fall and this calm before the storm of the holidays!  

Some of It Gets EasiER

Several years back I exhaustedly vented some parenting frustration on Facebook by posting a status that read "If I can just hold on until they're both in school, I'll get a few hours off"...or something to that effect.  I don't remember the exact circumstances that drove me to look for sympathy on the internets, but I imagine it was desperate.  It probably involved a lot of nursing my then-infant son, attempting to reason with my then-dramatic toddler about going potty, a traveling husband, and very little sleep. 

The comments some people posted left me in tears.  Yes, seriously.  Several older mom friends (I'm talking women that had grown children) jumped on and wrote things like "Oh!  We're supposed to get a day off?! I had no idea!" and  "Yeah, I'm still waiting.  Good luck with that!" and similarly snide comments.  I don't know why it cut me so deep (see previous statement about nursing and exhaustion), but it did.  I was drowning in raising littles and instead of throwing me a lifeline, several women that I trusted to help or at the very least empathize decided to point and laugh.  I quickly deleted the post in an effort to prevent others from jumping on the bandwagon. 

It was my fault, really.  I had turned to the world wide web to seek validation and encouragement instead of praying, talking to my husband, or picking up the phone to call a close friend - all things that most certainly would've had a better outcome.  I'd gotten burned, but it wasn't completely without purpose.  It seared a reminder in my brain to always encourage mothers coming behind me.  (And not that kind of "encouragement" that is often offered by whispering "OH.  Enjoy every minute.  It goes so fast."  Really? EVERY moment? 'Cause I got pooped on this morning.  Should I have savored that?!)

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know I've always hated that and the "just wait"-type comments.  You know the ones:  "Oh you think it's hard now?!  Just wait until he/she can walk/does sports/drive or turns age 1/6/16."  Those are not helpful and they make you sound like a jerk, so stop it.  

Here's a little secret I'm learning:  This parenting thing?  It never gets easy.  It never lets up.  It never stops.  BUT, parts of it do get a little easiER.  The physical demands lessen and the sleep returns and, one day, you will have five whole minutes to complete a thought or a sentence.  I'm not going to pretend like bon-bons (what are those, anyway?!) and soaps are right around the corner, because keeping up with two kids' school schedules on top of volunteering at both places is no joke (careful there, Heather, you're teetering on the edge of "just wait"...)  BUT every once in a while I can drink an entire cup of coffee before it gets cold.  Of course now I'm navigating the choppy waters of first grade friendships and answering hard faith questions, but at least I can do it with hot coffee in my system.  

So hang in there, young Mama.  I know you're tired and covered in spit-up and can't remember the last time you had a minute to yourself.  I know that it feels like if you have to wipe one more hiney or nose or pile of pbj crumbs off the counter you're going to lose your ever-lovin' mind, but there is coming a day when you will have more time for yourself.  A place where you can see daylight breaking over the top of the trench you've been in for so many years.  Until then, hang on for dear life and call a sitter every once in awhile.  Sooner than you think you'll be able to send your kids out in the backyard for fifteen whole minutes by themselves.  (Just remember:  Sibling fights build relational skills.  Let 'em duke it out.)

And to the older moms that commented on my post that day, if you have grown children and have not managed to take some breaks and time off by now, that is totally and completely on you.  No wonder you're cranky.  Chill out and go get a pedicure and a cup of coffee...and buy one for that young mama in the minivan behind you while you're at it.